


Laughter Lines

by mydetheturk



Series: Myde's Whumptober Fics [12]
Category: Star Wars Legends: The Old Republic (Video Game)
Genre: Imperial Agent Has A Bad Time, Implied/Referenced Drug Use, Implied/Referenced Torture, M/M, when is the IA NOT having a bad day
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-14
Updated: 2020-10-14
Packaged: 2021-03-08 03:29:26
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 532
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26998954
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mydetheturk/pseuds/mydetheturk
Summary: Getting captured is never fun, and Theron is having a pretty bad time of it.  The Imperial Agent he's with is having amuchworse time of it, however.
Relationships: Male Imperial Agent | Cipher Nine/Theron Shan
Series: Myde's Whumptober Fics [12]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1950136
Comments: 2
Kudos: 19
Collections: Whumptober 2020





	Laughter Lines

**Author's Note:**

> Yet More Whumptober!
> 
> At some point, I'll explain _why_ Theron calls Cipher Nine "Keeper" but today is not that day. 
> 
> Whumptober Theme: I THINK I’VE BROKEN SOMETHING  
> Prompt: Broken Down

The Imperial’s giggling is what’s keeping Theron on edge. It makes him look his actual age, which from what Theron’s been able to figure is relatively close to his own. He seems so much older normally, between the scars and his demeanor.

But the breathless giggling has the hair on the back of Theron’s neck standing up, and Theron isn’t sure what to _do_ about it. His job consists of a lot of _breaking_ people and not a lot of fixing them.

He’s determined to _try_ , though. Whoever it was that grabbed them managed to break _something_ in Cipher Nine, whether it was bones or his head, or something much worse.

Theron is willing to put creds on it being the “something much worse” from the way Cipher Nine has yet to stop giggling.

“Keeper!” Theron tries, shoving his counterpart a little bit. “Keeper, _come on_. Breathe!” he hisses.

The Cipher takes a breath but it only sets off another wave of giggles.

Theron can feel his anxiety ratcheting up with each giggle. Its _nerve-wracking_ to hear what sounds like _pain_ under the laughter, to process that this is something he might not be able to _fix_. He knows Cipher Nine tolerates Force Healing but would much rather let his wounds heal with Bacta or just on their own – the amount of scars that Theron’s seen is testament to that.

But this?

This feels like something in Cipher Nine has finally broken and Theron is a little afraid that the only thing that might be able to fix it is someone getting into his head and pressing the off button.

He has one last pazaak card up his sleeve though.

“C’mon, Sable,” Theron says, and Cipher Nine’s breath hitches in a way that Theron can tell has nothing to do with the laughter. “Easy, easy. Breathe with me.”

Theron wraps his arms around Cipher Nine’s ribs, pulling the Imperial close enough that his chest is pressed flush against Theron’s back. There’s a shiver, and Theron’s brain flickers back to cool nights on Yavin IV. He forcibly turns away from the thoughts.

It’s not the first time that Theron’s wished he could connect with the Force – but it’s one of the few times he hasn’t wanted it for reasons related to his mother. If he had the Force, Theron reckons, he could make the man he’s been sleeping with off and on for the past couple of years get some rest.

Theron keeps murmuring at Cipher Nine, keeps trying to get the other spy’s breathing situated. Theron’s snuck into medical and read the files – Cipher Nine’s ribs are a disaster zone of cracks and breaks and a period of near-permanent bruising.

Not to mention the strain Force Lightning put on his _heart_.

Theron’s seen tactics like this before – push one to the brink and watch their partner crash and burn trying to save them. (Theron’s done something like this before.)

He’s just never seen broken giggling like the Cipher’s. He holds Sable until the man finally crashes in a fit of pained giggles.

“Lana’s gonna kill me,” he whispers in to Sable’s hair. “I let them break you and Lana’s gonna kill me.”


End file.
